In a conversation with the People’s Army Newspaper’s reporter, Major General Bui Thien Thau, Deputy Commander of the ADAF Service, said that upon receiving the assigned mission, the Standing Board of the Party Committee and the Chain-of-Command of the Service identified it an urgent and extremely-important task. Therefore, they promptly directed Regiment 916 to coordinate with the Department of Search and Rescue under the General Staff and other relevant units to make thorough preparation throughout the night. “Directly delivering relief goods to natural disaster-hit people is both a responsibility and a heartfelt gesture of troops who always stand by the people,” affirmed Gen. Thau.
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The crew discussing the operation plan before take-off |
The flight crews entrusted with this mission included highly experienced pilots such as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Regiment 916 Senior Colonel Nguyen Ba Duc, Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 916 Colonel Nguyen Van Hoang. Alongside them were air navigation officers, aviation technicians, and airborne search and rescue teams.
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Functional units and local residents in Tia Dinh and Na Son communes swiftly unloading relief goods from helicopters to designated collection points |
By late morning, helicopters began descending toward the designated landing areas in Tia Dinh and Na Son communes of Dien Bien province, where residents and local forces had been waiting since early dawn. Forming two lines, they quickly unloaded the relief goods, including medicines and other essential supplies.
Receiving the goods, local leaders and residents expressed deep gratitude for the wholehearted support from military personnel, a true embodiment of the spirit “Willing to sacrifice for the people.” In times of hardship, military soldiers consistently put the people’s safety and well-being above all.
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Unloading medicines and other essentials to designated areas |
According to Colonel Nguyen Van Hoang, Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 916, to ensure the success of the mission and flight safety, the flight crews began preparation at 3 a.m. Although Dien Bien is not far by air, the rugged terrains and dense clouds pose significant challenges. Thus, the crews had to fully leverage their experience and maintain seamless coordination with relevant command units and local receivers to precisely reach the designated places, ensuring both absolute safety and timely delivery of aid to people.
Translated by Mai Huong